Machine for cutting link mesh



Jah; 2, 1923.

O SODERSTROM MACHINE FOR CUTTINGLINK M'ESH.

FlLED- IUNES. $92!.

February 8, 19.10 and June 29,1915 .re-v.

Patented dan. 2, i923.

Osons sonne-smeert, or rLaINvILLn, MASSACHUSETTS, .sesiones 'ro WHTING t DAVIS COMPANY, A COBJPORATION OF VIASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE non .CUTTING LINK Mnsrr.

Application mea rune s, 1921. serial No. 475,850.

lof Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cutting Link Mesh; and-I do here-by declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make an-duse the same.

This invention relates to machinesA for cutting linkmesh fabric and is directed to the provision of a machineV which is simY ple in construction and easily operated and which is adapted for cutting a piece of link mesh fabric along the line ofv one of the rows ofthe fabric.

A machine constructedv` in accordance with the invention consists essentially of a cutter for cutting links of the fabric :and devices for feedingthe fabric to the vcutter in such a way as lto cause the fabric to be cut `along the line of one of the rows of links. 1` The cutter may be of any suitable form, such for instancer as a rotary cutter or saw actuated by an appropriate-driving mechanism. vTo facilitate the positioning of the mesh for cutting and to serve a' guide during-the cutting operation, the machine includes ya support or table over which the mesh is moved to advance it to the-cutter. rlhe mesh upon this support or table is engaged by' a suitable feeding mechanism for feeding `it along over the` surface of the table in such a way as .to insure that thecutter will engage and cut the links of one row only withoutimposing any appreciable strain upon the links yof other rows of the fabric.

feeding `wheels lying sidev by side and on opposite sides of the plane 'of the cutter, with Vthe teeth of the wheelsspaced in corre-y spondence with the spacing of the rings of the mesh fabric to be operated upon;

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the machine is designed for use particularly in slitting or cutting open a sleeve of link mesh fabric produced by machines for making 'link mesh such as are illustrated and described in Letters Patent `Nos. 948,615 and 1,1%,7245 granted upon the support.

Preferably this -Y feeding means consists of a pair of toothedv standardL 1T.

spectively to A. C. Pratt. F or this purpose the machine includes a support for a sleeve of link mesh which is preferably of increasing. width toward the feeding and ,cut-V ting mechanisms to adapt it for spreading outand flattening the mesh. lThe cutter is preferably in the formvof a circular saw and to facilitate positioning the piece of mesh upon the support the feeding devices which cooperate with the mesh are preferably arranged so that they maybe moved away from the support to an inoperative posit-ion and return to the operative position after the mesh has been laid properly rlhe. .invention is illustratedv in the accompanying drawings, in application, as an example', to a machine 4for cutting open a sleeve of link mesh fabric, in which,

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of the machine;

Figure 2 is an endview in elevation of the machine; i

lFigure 3 represents a sleeve of link mesh fabric partly cutopen, and

Figure t 1s a view along thelinc /l-a of Figure 1.

The table 5 of the machine, for supporting a sleeve of link mesh 6, is mounted on a standard-7 and may,as shown in Figure l, be inclined downwardly toward the cutting and feeding mechanism of the machine to facilitate the feeding of the link mesh to the cutter.. rlhe end of the table 5 over which the sleeve of link mesh is drawn, is narrowed and rounded as indicated at E', and its upperrsurface is liattened. The opposite end of the table 5 is curved downwardly, as indicated at-9, to assist in carrying the linkv mesh past the cutting mechamsm. p A

yThe cutter' 10 of the machine consists of a circular saw which is mounted -on a power shaft 1,1A having' at its end a pulley 12'connected by a belt 13 to power. The shaft 11 is journaled in bearings 1a in the frame 15 of the machine and ina bearing 16 in the Keyed to the sha-ft 11 is a worin 18 in mesh with a gear 19 on shaft 2O which is journaled in bea-ring 21 at the upper end of the standard 22. The shaft 2O carries a worm which meshes with worm wheel 2l. The worm wheel 24 is mounted on a shaft 25 supported in a 'bea-ring 2:5 formed in the frame 1'?. it the upper end of the shaft 25 is a bevel gear 26 in mesh with a similar bevel gear 27. rllhe gear 27 is secured to the end of a shaft 28 which is journaled in hearings 29 on the yoke 30. Mounted on the shaft 28 is a pair of feed wheels 31 having serrated or toothed peripheries and, as shown in Figure 2, these feed wheels are positioned within the yoke 30 and are spaced apart and supported laterally by a bushing 32 between the arms of the yoke.

Formed at the outer ends of the arms of the position on the table 5, a pin 35 is provided for insertion in the opening 36 in bearing 14 and a corresponding opening 37 in the boss 38, with which the adjacent sleeve member 33 is provided, and which is in registry with the opening 36 in this position of the yoke. Before the yoke can be swung backwardly from the position shown in Figure 1 .to retract the feed wheels to an inoperative position and out of the way of the link mesh, not only must the pin 35 first be removed, but it is also necessary to disengage the pinions 26 and 27. For this purpose the sleeve 39 on which the pinion 27 is mounted is provided with a cam slot 40, and the shaft 28 with a pin 41 projecting outwardly into the cam slot. The sleeve has a handle 42 by which it may be rotated about the shaft 28 counter to the direction in which the shaft is normally driven. When so rotated about the shaft the cam .curve 40 and pin 41 cooperate to force the sleeve 39 inwardly along theV shaft 28, thus carrying the bevel gear 27 out of engagement with the gear 26. In the normal driving position, as shown in Figure 2, the pin 41 is at the end of the cam slot and furnishes the connection between the sleeve 39 and the shaft 28.

The operation of the machine is as follows The sleeve of link mesh fabric 6 is drawn i over the end 8 of the table 5 and is spread open by the table as indicated in Figure 1. The fabric is then pulled down on the table to a position where it will be engaged by the feed wheels 31, which during this manual adjusting operation are thrown back in inoperative position. The yoke 30 is then thrown forward by means of the handle 34 to bring the feed wheels 31 int-o engagement with the link mesh fabric on the table in which position the yoke 30 is locked by the pin 35 inserted in the Vopenings 36 and 37, which are then in registry. The gears 26 and 27 are next brought into engagement by throwing over the sleeve 39 by means of the handle 42 by which operation the sleeve 39 is advanced or moved outwardly along the shaft 28 by the action vof the cam slot 40 and pin 41. As soon as the gears 26 and 27 are brought into mesh the shaft 28 is actuated, thus rotating the feed wheels 31, as shown in Figure 4. The feed wheels engage two rows of li rs A, and as they rotate the sleeve of y link mesh fabric is drawn downwardly over the table and passes to the downwardly curved portion 9 thereof in contact with the cutter 10. The table 5 is Lprovided with a slot 43 to receive the saw toothed peripheraledge of the cutter 10 and as the link mesh fabric passes downwardly over the portion 9 and into contact with the cutterl 10 the latter comes into engagement with the links in the row B located between the rows of linksA, thus cutting through the row B and opening upthe sleeve of link mesh. After being cut the mesh fabric passes below the cutter 10 and may be collected in any suitable receptacle placed underneath the end of the table.

1. In a machine for cutting link mesh, means for cutting a piece of link mesh fabric along the line of one row of links, and means for feeding the fabric to said cutting means.

2, In a machine for cutting link mesh, a support for a piece of link mesh fabric, a cutter, mechanism for actuating the cutter, and means cooperating with the support for engaging the links of the fabric to feed to the cutter a row of links to be severed.

3. In a machine for cutting link mesh, a support for a piece of link mesh fabric, a rotary cutter, mechanism for driving the cutter, and means cooperating with the support for engaging the links of the fabric to feed to the cutter a row of links to be severed.

4. In a machine for cutting link mesh, a support for a piece of link mesh fabric, a rotary cutter, mechanism for driving the cutter, and means cooperating with the support, comprising a feed wheel having peripheral teeth, for engaging the links of one row to feed to the cutter the links of the row to be severed. Y,

5. In a machine for cuttingv link mesh, a support for a piece of link mesh fabric, a cutter, mechanism for actuating the cutter, means cooperating with the support, comprising a pair of feed wheels positioned on opposite sides of the cutter and having peripheral teeth for engaging links of two rows, to feed to the cutter arow of links to be severed intermediate said rows engaged by the feeding means.

6. In a machine for cutting link mesh, a support for a piece of link mesh fabric, a rotary saw, mechanism for driving the saw,

saw, means for advancing and retracting the saw to operative and inoperative positions, a pair of wheels having peripheral teeth for engaging links of two rows, one on each side of the row to be severed, to feed the latter 15 to said saw, and mechanism for rotating said wheels and said saw.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

, OSCAR SODERSTROM. 

